Press Release

Shangri-La Hotels And Resorts To Open Luxury Hotel In Confucius' Birthplace

6 June 2013

By proximity as
well as design, the new Shangri-La Hotel, Qufu pays homage to the famous
philosopher, Confucius. Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is
opening the hotel in the centre of Qufu, Confucius’ birthplace, on 1 August. It
will be the city’s first international luxury accommodation.

Shangri-La
Hotel, Qufu is within walking distance of the Temple of Confucius, the Mansion
of Confucius and the Cemetery of Confucius. All three are UNESCO World Heritage
Cultural Sites, and Qufu is one of mainland China’s 24 government-designated
famous historical and cultural cities. Located in Shandong Province, Qufu is two
hours from Beijing and three hours from Shanghai by high-speed rail, making it a
convenient cultural excursion from either city.

Blending Confucian
principles, Chinese traditions and contemporary style, the hotel’s design
reflects Qufu’s history but with a modern aesthetic. Chinese architecture sets
the tone, with the hotel’s façade designed to resemble a traditional Chinese
pavilion and roofs topped by grey tiers of flying eaves. Supported by eight
large pillars, the porte cochere is also shaped like a traditional Chinese
pavilion. It is covered in red lacquer panels with Chinese motifs imprinted on
the sides of the ceiling and traditional Lo Shu Squares (a
square-within-a-square motif) repeated on the ceiling.

The hotel’s
interior design concept expresses the three key principles of Confucian
philosophy – order, harmony and hierarchy – and is based on Confucius’ “Six
Arts” (which include the disciplines of Rites, Music, Archery, Chariot Racing,
Calligraphy and Mathematics).

Hierarchy and harmony are conveyed in the
hotel’s dramatic lobby, where sleek symmetry and Chinese patterns repeated in
ceiling reliefs and on marble floors capture a mood of harmonious elegance.
Upon arrival, guests will be greeted by the sight of two full-grown trees
planted in the middle of the lobby, where natural daylight streams in from a
glass roof. The trees are surrounded by a carpet of grass, marble seats and
dark wood columns. The vast lobby features an 8.5-metre-high ceiling with
oversized lantern-shaped light fixtures and windows overlooking lush greenery
and garden pavilions. Deep red lacquer panels offset the reception desk, which
is highlighted by a painting of Chinese plum blossoms reinterpreted using mixed
media.

Among the 211 spacious guestrooms to open in August, rooms facing
the Yi River are designed with balconies offering views of the old city wall,
palaces of the Temple of Confucius and the hotel’s traditional Chinese
landscaped garden dotted with pavilions. All the rooms and the public areas
throughout the hotel feature complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access.

Qufu's
cuisine flourished under the Kong family, the descendants of Confucius, to whom
the hotel will pay tribute in its signature restaurant, Shang Palace. The
restaurant will serve authentic Cantonese, Shandong regional Lu and re-imagined
Kong Family cuisines.

A red lacquered door with a Chinese motif carved in
wood at the entrance of Shang Palace prepares guests for the contemporary
Chinese elegance of the restaurant. Bronze koi fish statues are placed in water
fountains, framing both sides of the door and giving the impression of fish
leaping out of the water. Several other water features are placed throughout
the restaurant, including built-in ponds and shallow pools.

The
restaurant’s interior is decorated in shades of muted gold, dark wood and deep
orange, a perfect marriage of contemporary and classic Chinese design. Walls
are covered in hand-embroidered Chinese flowers, pavilions or bamboo motifs
symbolising prosperity and good fortune. The main dining area is separated from
five private dining rooms by glass panelling depicting Chinese watercolour
paintings of flowers, mountains and birds.

The hotel also features Café
Kong, an all-day casual dining venue serving international dishes cooked in open
kitchens, and the Lobby Lounge, which will offer an extensive tea menu. Other
venues include the hotel’s 1,600-square-metre pillar-free Qilu Grand Ballroom
with an outdoor terrace connected to the ballroom foyer; six additional function
rooms, a Bridal Room and the Hall of Wisdom VIP
room.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La International Hotel
Management Limited, one of the world’s premier hotel
management companies, currently operates over 95 hotels in 22 countries and 73
destinations under the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Kerry Hotels, Hotel Jen
and Traders Hotels brands. Prominently positioned in Asia, the group has
established its brand hallmark of “hospitality from the heart” over four decades in
Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, North America and the Indian Ocean. The
group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in mainland
China, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. For more
information, please visit www.shangri-la.com.